Greens welcome NSW Government plan to ban 'rent bidding' before Christmas as 'good first step' to protect renters

Australian Greens

"This is a massive win for renters and a measure we have been advocating for as just one way to stop the ever increasing rent hikes people are facing in NSW."

"The Greens welcome this reform as a good first step but also recognise that a great deal more can, and should, be done to protect the millions of renters across NSW."

"We reiterate our call to end unfair no grounds evictions in NSW - something we know a lot of people are facing right before Christmas."

"We have also been calling on the Government to respond appropriately to the rental crisis by immediately freezing rents, as an immediate measure that could have a tangible positive impact for renters right across NSW," she said."

"Just last week we called for rent bidding to be banned alongside genuine protections for renters including ending no grounds evictions, freezing and controlling rents, and banning intrusive rental applications."

"It seems that finally, with an election imminent, both the Liberal/National government and the NSW Labor are attempting some last minute bidding war that seems more focussed on winning votes than addressing the housing crisis in this state."

"This is a crisis of their making and one that they have known about for years."

"The Greens had a bill before Parliament that would have delivered security to millions of renters in NSW this year, but NSW Labor and Liberal shamefully teamed up to block it."

"Conversations with people on the street, and endless stories in the news, show us just how bad the power imbalance between renters and their real estate agent and landlords has gotten."

"This is not a new problem and the Liberal Nationals have had 11 years in power to fix the rental crisis, instead they have ignored the renters in their communities and prioritised the interests of investors, real estate agents, and landlords."

"Every single day renters are being hit with massive rent increases they're too fearful to negotiate or are treading on eggshells to ask for basic repairs because of the threat of being evicted."

"At a time when more people are renting than ever before, and for longer, we need to fix the conditions that have made chronic insecurity part and parcel of renting."

"Today's announcement is welcome but there is still a great deal to be done to help the millions of renters in NSW - and The Greens are committed to getting it all done."

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